The 2023 NCAA Division II men's basketball tournament was the single-elimination tournament to determine the annual national champion of men's NCAA Division II college basketball in the United States .
The championship rounds were held from March 21–25, 2023 at the Ford Center in Evansville, Indiana .
Nova Southeastern won their first ever national championship, beating West Liberty 111–101 in the championship game.[ 1] The Sharks also completed a perfect 36–0 season, the first team to do so since Northwest Missouri State in 2019 .
McKendree and North Georgia participated in the tournament for the first time, with both winning tournament games, and the former making it to the Regional Final.
Tournament schedule and venues
2023 NCAA Division II Men's sites - regionals (cyan) Elite Eight (red)
Regionals
First, second, and third-round games (the last of which doubles as a regional championship), will take place on campus sites from March 11–14, 2023. The top-seeded team in each regional serves as host.
Elite Eight
The national quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals will be held at a predetermined site, the Ford Center in Evansville, Indiana , from March 21–25, 2023.
Qualifying
A total of sixty-four bids are available for the tournament: 23 automatic bids (awarded to the champions of the twenty-three Division II conferences) and 41 at-large bids.
The bids are allocated evenly among the eight NCAA-designated regions (Atlantic, Central, East, Midwest, South, South Central, Southeast, and West), each of which contains either two or three of the twenty-three Division II conferences that sponsor men's basketball. Each region consists of two or three automatic qualifiers (the teams who won their respective conference tournaments) and either five or six at-large bids, awarded regardless of conference affiliation.
Automatic bids (23)
At-large bids (41)
Regionals
Atlantic
First round March 11
Regional semifinals March 12
Regional Finals March 14
1
Indiana (PA)
52
8
Winston–Salem State
50
1
Indiana (PA)
60
4
Virginia Union
45
5
Fairmont State
64
4
Virginia Union
66
1
Indiana (PA)
53
2
West Liberty
70
3
Mercyhurst
72
6
East Stroudsburg
66
3
Mercyhurst
72
2
West Liberty
86
7
Pittsburgh–Johnstown
88
2
West Liberty
112
Central
First round March 11
Regional semifinals March 12
Regional Finals March 14
1
Northwest Missouri State
94
8
Southern Arkansas
69
1
Northwest Missouri State
57
5
Southern Nazarene
61
5
Southern Nazarene
67 *
4
Minnesota State–Moorhead
64
5
Southern Nazarene
52
6
Minnesota–Duluth
62
3
Central Oklahoma
56
6
Minnesota–Duluth
62
6
Minnesota–Duluth
84
7
Emporia State
79
7
Emporia State
72
2
Northern State
51
* – Denotes overtime period
East
First round March 11
Regional semifinals March 12
Regional Finals March 14
1
St. Anselm
71
8
Caldwell
80
8
Caldwell
56
4
New Haven
77
5
Pace
57
4
New Haven
83
4
New Haven
69
2
Bentley
60
3
Southern New Hampshire
78
6
St. Thomas Aquinas
64
3
Southern New Hampshire
46
2
Bentley
73
7
Dominican (NY)
67
2
Bentley
77
Midwest
First round March 11
Regional semifinals March 12
Regional Finals March 14
1
Indianapolis
63
8
McKendree
77
8
McKendree
93
5
Northern Michigan
83
5
Northern Michigan
86
4
Hillsdale
81
8
McKendree
60
2
Missouri–St. Louis
62
3
Ashland
70
6
Ferris State
71
6
Ferris State
68
2
Missouri–St. Louis
82
7
Wisconsin–Parkside
60
2
Missouri–St. Louis
85
South
First round March 11
Regional semifinals March 12
Regional Finals March 14
1
Nova Southeastern
97
8
Miles
55
1
Nova Southeastern
105
5
West Georgia
74
5
West Georgia
74
4
Lee
61
1
Nova Southeastern
87
3
Alabama–Huntsville
62
3
Alabama–Huntsville
76
6
Embry–Riddle
69
3
Alabama–Huntsville
72
2
West Alabama
56
7
Tuskegee
64
2
West Alabama
70
South Central
First round March 11
Regional semifinals March 12
Regional Finals March 14
1
West Texas A&M
78
8
Texas A&M–Kingsville
56
1
West Texas A&M
69
4
Angelo State
59
5
Colorado Mesa
57
4
Angelo State
72
1
West Texas A&M
67
6
Black Hills State
68
3
Colorado School of Mines
48
6
Black Hills State
68
6
Black Hills State
81
2
Fort Lewis
66
7
Lubbock Christian
65
2
Fort Lewis
97
Southeast
First round March 11
Regional semifinals March 12
Regional Finals March 14
1
Augusta
83
8
Emmanuel (GA)
74
1
Augusta
77
4
South Carolina–Aiken
84
5
Catawba
79
4
South Carolina–Aiken
88
4
South Carolina–Aiken
83
3
Lincoln Memorial
89
3
Lincoln Memorial
76
6
Lander
63
3
Lincoln Memorial
84
7
North Georgia
74
7
North Georgia
76
2
UNC Pembroke
58
West
First round March 10
Regional semifinals March 11
Regional Finals March 13
1
Point Loma
78
8
Northwest Nazarene
64
1
Point Loma
83
5
Academy of Art
70
5
Academy of Art
93 *
4
St. Martin's
89
1
Point Loma
83
2
Cal State San Bernardino
89
3
Azusa Pacific
62
6
Cal State San Marcos
72
6
Cal State San Marcos
61
2
Cal State San Bernardino
67
7
Montana State Billings
57
2
Cal State San Bernardino
63
* – Denotes overtime period
Elite Eight
Elite Eight March 21, 2023
Final Four March 23, 2023
National championship March 25, 2023
1
Nova Southeastern
82
8
Missouri–St. Louis
75
1
Nova Southeastern
94
4
Cal State San Bernardino
87
4
Cal State San Bernardino
88
5
Lincoln Memorial
70
1
Nova Southeastern
111
2
West Liberty
101
2
West Liberty
95
7
New Haven
58
2
West Liberty
87
3
Black Hills State
82
3
Black Hills State
86
6
Minnesota–Duluth
68
See also
References
Tournaments Records Related